U.S. patent number 10,334,741 [Application Number 15/796,888] was granted by the patent office on 2019-06-25 for conductive polymers within drilled holes of printed circuit boards.
This patent grant is currently assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. The grantee listed for this patent is International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Matthew Doyle, Jeffrey N. Judd, Joseph Kuczynski, Scott D. Strand, Timothy Tofil.
United States Patent |
10,334,741 |
Kuczynski , et al. |
June 25, 2019 |
Conductive polymers within drilled holes of printed circuit
boards
Abstract
A triggering condition is applied to a conductive polymer
positioned in a drilled hole in a printed circuit board. The
applied triggering condition causes the polymer to vertically
expand within the drilled hole such that the expanded polymer
creates an electrically conductive path between contact pads
located in different layers of the printed circuit board.
Inventors: |
Kuczynski; Joseph (North Port,
FL), Tofil; Timothy (Rochester, MN), Judd; Jeffrey N.
(Oronoco, MN), Doyle; Matthew (Chatfield, MN), Strand;
Scott D. (Rochester, MN) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
International Business Machines Corporation |
Armonk |
NY |
US |
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Assignee: |
International Business Machines
Corporation (Armonk, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
64999343 |
Appl.
No.: |
15/796,888 |
Filed: |
October 30, 2017 |
Prior Publication Data
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Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
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US 20190021173 A1 |
Jan 17, 2019 |
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Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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15650227 |
Jul 14, 2017 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H05K
3/429 (20130101); H01L 21/02118 (20130101); H05K
1/0292 (20130101); H05K 3/4069 (20130101); H05K
3/386 (20130101); Y10T 29/49165 (20150115); H05K
1/0298 (20130101); H05K 2201/0329 (20130101); H05K
1/0251 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01K
3/10 (20060101); H01L 21/02 (20060101); H05K
3/42 (20060101); H05K 3/38 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;29/852,876 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Other References
Kuczynski et al., "Conductive Polymers Within Drilled Holes of
Printed Circuit Boards", U.S. Appl. No. 15/886,071, filed Feb. 1,
2018. cited by applicant .
Accelerated Examination Support Document, U.S. Appl. No.
15/886,071, dated Dec. 9, 2017, 8 pgs. cited by applicant .
IBM, List of IBM Patents or Patent Applications Treated as Related,
Jan. 30, 2018, 2 pages. cited by applicant .
Unknown, "Silicone Rubber Technical Information", Mosites Rubber
Company, Inc., printed Jun. 27, 2017, 17 pages. cited by applicant
.
Kuczynski et al., "Conductive Polymers Within Drilled Holes of
Printed Circuit Boards", U.S. Appl. No. 15/650,227, filed Jul. 14,
2017. cited by applicant .
IBM, List of IBM Patents or Patent Applications Treated as Related,
Oct. 26, 2017, 2 pages. cited by applicant.
|
Primary Examiner: Nguyen; Donghai D
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Bowman; Nicholas D.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising applying a triggering condition to a
conductive polymer positioned in a drilled hole in a printed
circuit board to vertically expand the polymer within the drilled
hole such that the expanded polymer creates an electrically
conductive path between contact pads located in different layers of
the printed circuit board.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: removing the
triggering condition from the expanded polymer, whereby the polymer
vertically contracts within the drilled hole such that the
electrically conductive path between the contact pads is
broken.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying the triggering
condition is responsive to a command from a processor to establish
an electrical connection between the contact pads.
4. The method of claim 3, further comprising: responsive to a
second command from the processor to sever the electrical
connection, withdrawing the triggering condition from the polymer
to contract the expanded polymer such that the electrically
conductive path between the contact pads is broken.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein electronic components communicate
across the electrically conductive path created by the expanded
polymer.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises a composite
with an elastomer matrix and a conductive filler, and the
triggering condition is heat applied to the polymer.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the heat is applied via a heated
filament positioned in or near the polymer.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises an
electroactive polymer, and the triggering condition is voltage
applied to the polymer.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the voltage is applied via
additional contact pads arranged vertically outside of the contacts
pads within the drilled hole.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises gas-filled
microspheres, and the triggering condition is a pressure decrease
applied to the polymer such that the microspheres expand.
Description
BACKGROUND
The present disclosure relates generally to printed circuit boards,
and, more particularly, to the expansion and contraction of
conductive polymers within drilled holes of printed circuit
boards.
Often multiple vias are used in a multi-layered printed circuit
board to electrically connect annular contact pads of conductive
traces in differing (conductive) layers of the board. During the
manufacturing of the printed circuit board, the vias may be created
by plating drilled holes in the board with a conductive material
(typically copper). The entire depth of the via, including an
unused portion of the via called a stub, is generally plated with
the copper material. Left unchanged, the plated stub portion may
adversely degrade electrical signals traveling through the desired
portion of the via (i.e., into a contact pad of a desired trace
escape layer) during use of the completed circuit board. In order
to reduce the impact of stubs on circuit board performance, the
stubs may be removed from the board, or at least shortened, during
the manufacturing process by means such as backdrilling.
SUMMARY
Embodiments of the present disclosure include a method. As part of
the method, a triggering condition is applied to a conductive
polymer positioned in a drilled hole in a printed circuit board.
The applied triggering condition causes the polymer to vertically
expand within the drilled hole such that the expanded polymer
creates an electrically conductive path between contact pads
located in different layers of the printed circuit board.
Embodiments of the present disclosure further include a computer
program product. The computer program product is a computer
readable storage medium that has program instructions embodied
thereon. The program instructions are configured to cause a
processor to perform a method. As part of the method, a command is
sent to apply a triggering condition to a conductive polymer
positioned in a drilled hole in a printed circuit board to
vertically expand the polymer within the drilled hole such that the
expanded polymer creates an electrically conductive path between
contact pads located in different layers of the printed circuit
board.
Embodiments of the present disclosure further include a printed
circuit board. The printed circuit board includes a conductive
polymer positioned in a drilled hole in the printed circuit board.
The polymer is configured to respond to an applied triggering
condition by vertically expanding within the drilled hole such that
the expanded polymer creates an electrically conductive path
between contact pads located in different layers of the printed
circuit board.
The above summary is not intended to describe each illustrated
embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The drawings included in the present disclosure are incorporated
into, and form part of, the specification. They illustrate
embodiments of the present disclosure and, along with the
description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. The
drawings are only illustrative of typical embodiments and do not
limit the disclosure.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate cross-sectional views of a drilled hole
in a printed circuit board, wherein the drilled hole includes a
conductive polymer plug in a contracted form and an expanded form,
respectively, and wherein the expansion of the conductive polymer
creates an electrical connection between contact pads of trace
layers of the printed circuit board, in accordance with embodiments
of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate the views of the drilled hole of FIGS.
1A and 1B, wherein the expansion of the conductive polymer severs
the electrical connection between the contact pads of the trace
layers in the printed circuit board, in accordance with embodiments
of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate the views of the drilled hole of FIGS.
1A and 1B, wherein the conductive polymer is a conductive
elastomer, and wherein the expansion and contraction of the
conductive elastomer is caused by variably using a heating filament
embedded in the printed circuit board, in accordance with
embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate the views of the drilled hole of FIGS.
1A and 1B, wherein the conductive polymer is an electroactive
polymer, and wherein the expansion and contraction of the
electroactive polymer is caused by variably applying voltage to the
polymer via a voltage drop across an additional pair of contact
pads in the drilled hole of the printed circuit board, in
accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate the views of the drilled hole of FIGS.
1A and 1B, wherein the conductive polymer includes rounded,
gas-filled, elastomeric microspheres, and wherein the expansion and
contraction of the electroactive polymer is caused by variably
applying air pressure changes within the drilled hole of the
printed circuit board, in accordance with embodiments of the
present disclosure.
FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a printed circuit
board with a plurality of drilled holes, wherein the drilled holes
are filled with various quantities of a conductive polymer by an
array of syringes, in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure.
FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram of a method of using a processor
to generate commands that cause the expansion and contraction of
conductive polymers in drilled holes of a printed circuit board in
order to create and sever electrical connections as necessary in a
controlled manner, in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure.
FIG. 8 illustrates a high-level block diagram of an example
computer system that may be used in implementing embodiments of the
present disclosure.
While the embodiments described herein are amenable to various
modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been
shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in
detail. It should be understood, however, that the particular
embodiments described are not to be taken in a limiting sense. On
the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,
equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope
of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to printed
circuit boards, and, more particularly, to the expansion and
contraction of conductive polymers within drilled holes of printed
circuit boards. While the present disclosure is not necessarily
limited to such applications, various aspects of the disclosure may
be appreciated through a discussion of various examples using this
context.
As discussed above, the conductive plating material used in printed
circuit board vias can often cause significant issues with signal
degradation as electric current passes through the vias. In some
embodiments, by using conductive polymers, instead of copper
plating, in drilled holes, this risk of signal degradation can be
greatly reduced. In addition, the use of conductive polymer plugs
in printed circuit boards may offer significant flexibility in how
electrical connections are variably made and broken across layers
of the board.
Referring now to the figures, shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B are
cross-sectional views of a drilled hole in a printed circuit board
100, wherein the drilled hole includes a conductive polymer plug
101 in a contracted form and an expanded form, respectively, and
wherein the expansion of the conductive polymer creates an
electrical connection between contact pads 104 and 105 of trace
layers 102 and 103 of the printed circuit board 100, in accordance
with embodiments of the present disclosure. In embodiments, the
plug 101 may be solid or porous and shaped regularly or
irregularly. As shown in FIG. 1A, the plug 101 is in a contracted
(unstressed) form. In this view, the contracted polymer does not
contact either of the contact pads 104 or 105. In FIG. 1B, a
triggering condition applied to the plug 101 causes it to expand
vertically (relative to the plane of the printed circuit board
100), because horizontal expansion is largely constrained by the
walls of the drilled hole, and come into contact with both contact
pads 104 and 105. This expansion creates an electrical connection
(electrical path) between the contact pads 104 and 105 (and their
respective traces, 102 and 103) such that an electrical current can
pass within the plug 101 across the drilled hole. In some
embodiments, this electrical path across the plug 101 allows
electronic communication (e.g., messaging) to occur over the plug
101. In some embodiments, the unexpanded plug 101 may already be in
contact with one of the contact pads 104 or 105 and the expansion
may cause it to come into contact with the other contact pad as
well in order to create the desired electrical connection.
As indicated by the arrows between FIGS. 1A and 1B, the
transformation of the plug 101 from a contracted state to an
expanded state is reversible in some embodiments. For example, in
some embodiments, by withdrawing the triggering condition from the
expanded plug 101, the plug contracts back down to its original
state, thereby severing (e.g., breaking) the electrical connection
between the contact pads 104 and 105. In other embodiments, the
plug 101 remains in the expanded state after the triggering
condition is withdrawn and does not contract until a new triggering
condition is applied.
Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, shown are the views of the
drilled hole of FIGS. 1A and 1B, wherein the expansion of the
conductive polymer 101 severs the electrical connection between the
contact pads 104 and 105 of the trace layers 102 and 103 in the
printed circuit board 100, in accordance with embodiments of the
present disclosure. In contrast with the embodiments of FIGS. 1A
and 1B where the expansion of the plug 101 created the electrical
connection, in this instance the expansion of the plug effectively
breaks the relevant electrical connection. Specifically, in the
embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B, an additional contact pad 207 is
located in the drilled hole outside of the portion between the
contact pads 104 and 105. The contact pad 207 is connected to a
grounded trace 206. As shown in FIG. 2A, the plug 101 in the
contracted form acts as an electrical connection between traces 102
and 103 over which electrical signals can pass. By applying a
triggering condition, the plug 101 is expanded so as to create an
electrical connection between the trace 102 and the grounded trace
206 (as shown in FIG. 2B). This connection between traces 102 and
206 effectively severs the conductive path between traces 102 and
103 by creating a grounded path towards which signals passing along
trace 102 will travel. Similar to the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and
1B, the transformation of plug 101 may be reversible such that the
upon return to its contracted form, the electrical path between
traces 102 and 103 is recreated.
It should be noted that, in some embodiments, the phrases
"contracted form" and "expanded form" and the like may be relative
phrases that are on a spectrum of expansion. The quantity of the
triggering condition that is applied to the conductive polymer may
cause the expansion of the polymer to vary across this spectrum.
For example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 2A and 2B, the plug 101 in
its natural (unstressed) state may be small (short) enough to fit
between the contact pads 104 and 105 while not contacting either.
Then, upon the application of a first quantity of a triggering
condition, the plug may expand to the state shown in FIG. 2A, and
later, upon the application of a second (larger) quantity of the
triggering condition, the plug may expand further to the state
shown in FIG. 2B. Such an embodiment that allows variable
expansion/contraction may have significant advantages in allowing
multiple (e.g., two or three or more) electrical connections
through a single plug depending on desired signal paths through a
printed circuit board.
As discussed herein, embodiments of the disclosure contemplate a
wide variety of triggering conditions that can be applied in
different situations depending on the types of polymers used and
the results desired. Examples of triggering conditions include
applied changes in temperature, pressure, and voltage that apply
stress to a particular type of polymer used in a printed circuit
board. In some embodiments, these triggering conditions are applied
intentionally and in a controlled manner. For example, the
triggering conditions may be applied in response to commands from
processors in order to variably make and break electrical
connections as necessary for communication across the printed
circuit board (between components such as integrated circuits,
other processors, memory modules, etc.).
In other embodiments, the triggering conditions may be applied
unintentionally and/or in an uncontrolled manner. For example, the
triggering condition may be excessive heat or voltage and the
responsive expansion of a polymer plug may be designed as a
fail-safe mechanism or the like in order to prevent the excessive
applied condition from damaging the printed circuit board or other
nearby components. Such embodiments may be useful for preventing
runaway conditions (e.g., thermal runaway, voltage runaway, current
runaway) from occurring, or if they do start occurring, to stop
them or prevent damage from them.
Other uses of embodiments of the disclosure are also contemplated.
For example, embodiments may be useful in changing the way that
circuits within a printed circuit board communicate or otherwise
operate under different conditions (e.g., modifying electrical
paths during high temperature operation or changing communication
methods across drilled holes during periods of low pressure, etc.)
or at different points during the product lifecycle of the printed
circuit board or a computer in which it is incorporated.
Referring now to FIGS. 3A and 3B, shown are the views of the
drilled hole of FIGS. 1A and 1B, wherein the conductive polymer 101
is a conductive elastomer, and wherein the expansion and
contraction of the conductive elastomer is caused by variably using
a heating filament 308 embedded in the printed circuit board 100,
in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The
filament 308 may be positioned in, near, or around the polymer 101.
In some embodiments, the filament 308 may be a thick resistive
material that generates heat when current is applied to it by one
or more conductive traces within the printed circuit board 100.
In some embodiments, generating heat in the filament 308 causes the
polymer 101 to expand (in a transition from the contracted form in
FIG. 3A to the expanded form in FIG. 3B) and create an electrical
connection between the contact pads 104 and 105. Withdrawing this
heat (e.g., cooling the filament 308) reverses the process and
contracts the polymer 101 back to the state shown in FIG. 3A. In
other embodiments (not depicted) the heat may be applied to the
polymer 101 by means other than filament 308, such as by inserting
a heated probe into the drilled hole or by heating the printed
circuit board 100 generally or in the area surrounding the drilled
hole.
A variety of different conductive elastomers may be used in
embodiments. For example, the conductive elastomer may comprise a
composite with a polymer (e.g., silicone, plasticized epoxy) matrix
and an electrically conductive filler (e.g., gold, copper, silver,
silver-plated copper, silver plated glass beads, or nanoparticles
such as carbon) or other metalized polymer interconnect materials.
For another example, the conductive elastomer may comprise metal
fibers coated with polymers.
In some embodiments, the conductive elastomer may be selected for
use based on having certain characteristics, such as high volume
expansion rates (e.g., three to ten percent) in relatively short
periods of time at relatively low temperatures (e.g., below
two-hundred-fifty degrees Celsius, or between two-hundred-ten and
two-hundred-thirty-five degrees Celsius). This ability to expand at
low temperatures may be significant in protecting the printed
circuit board itself from thermal damage. Such elastomers may be
particularly suited for embodiments, as typical printed circuit
boards are not usually damaged by exposure to these low
temperatures (at least not for short periods of time).
Referring now to FIGS. 4A and 4B, shown are views of the drilled
hole of FIGS. 1A and 1B, wherein the conductive polymer 101 is an
electroactive polymer, and wherein the expansion and contraction of
the electroactive polymer is caused by variably applying voltage to
the polymer 101 via a voltage drop across an additional pair of
contact pads 409 and 410 in the drilled hole of the printed circuit
board 100, in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure. In some embodiments, electroactive polymers may show
significant expansion rates in response to applied voltage
stimulations. Examples of electroactive polymers include dielectric
electroactive polymers and ionic electroactive polymers. Dielectric
electroactive polymers include, but are not limited to,
ferroelectric polymers, electrostrictive graft polymers, and liquid
crystalline polymers. Ionic electroactive polymers include, but are
not limited to, ionic polymer-metal composites, electroheological
fluids, and stimuli-responsive gels.
There are a variety of means for applying voltage stimulation to
electroactive polymers in accordance with embodiments. In some
embodiments, one or two electrical probes inserted within the
drilled hole may apply the voltage. In other embodiments, the
voltage may be applied across the same contact pads which the
expanded polymer electrically connects (e.g., contact pads 104 and
105). In the example depicted in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the voltage is
applied across the polymer 101 via two contact pads 409 and 410
located outside of the portion of the drilled hole between contact
pads 104 and 105. When the voltage is created, the polymer 101
expands (e.g., to the expanded form shown in FIG. 4B). In some
embodiments, the expansion is reversible and the polymer 101
returns to the original contracted state, either upon withdrawal of
the original voltage or upon application of a new voltage.
In some embodiments, the electroactive polymer may be selected for
use based on having certain characteristics, such as high volume
expansion rates (e.g., three to ten percent) in relatively short
periods of time at relatively low voltages (e.g., between one volt
and ten volts or less). This ability to expand at low voltage may
be significant in protecting the printed circuit board itself from
voltage damage. Such electroactive polymers may be particularly
suited for embodiments, as typical printed circuit boards are not
usually damaged by exposure to these low voltages (e.g., twelve
volts or less), at least not for short periods of time. In
addition, in some embodiments, any voltage that is created by
current passing through the polymer 101 during normal electrical
signaling may be negligible by comparison (e.g., below one volt),
thus preventing improper expansion of the polymer when
undesirable.
Referring now to FIGS. 5A and 5B, shown are views of the drilled
hole of FIGS. 1A and 1B, wherein the conductive polymer 101
includes rounded, gas-filled, elastomeric microspheres, and wherein
the expansion and contraction of the electroactive polymer is
caused by variably applying air pressure changes within the drilled
hole in the printed circuit board 100, in accordance with
embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in zoom view 511,
the microspheres (e.g., rounded gas pockets coated with elastomeric
shells) are contracted under normal pressure conditions. Upon a
decrease in pressure, the microspheres expand causing the polymer
101 to transition to the expanded form shown in zoom view 512 of
FIG. 5B. Once the pressure is raised again, the process is
reversed, and the polymer returns to the contracted state of FIG.
5A.
A wide variety of means for triggering a change in pressure are
possible according to embodiments. For example, a suction tube may
be inserted in the drilled hole to create vacuum-like conditions.
For another example, the entire environment in which the printed
circuit board 100 is used or manufactured (e.g., a particular room
or server rack) may undergo a change in air pressure that causes
the expansion/contraction of the polymer 101.
Referring now to FIG. 6, shown is a cross-sectional view of a
printed circuit board 613 with a plurality of drilled holes,
wherein the drilled holes are filled with various quantities of a
conductive polymer by an array of syringes with needles/nozzles
615, 616, and 617, in accordance with embodiments of the present
disclosure. In this depicted embodiment, a machine 614 working
either manually or automatically uses the array of syringes (three
syringes are shown for simplicity, but more may be used) to fill
drilled holes with conductive polymers during the manufacturing of
the printed circuit board 613. In some embodiments, only a portion
of the drilled holes are filled with the conductive polymers, while
a remainder of the drilled holes are either left empty or coated
with a layer of copper materials to create plated through holes.
The holes selected for each type of fill material (e.g., either
copper or a polymer) may be determined based on the design
specification for the printed circuit board 613 and the desired use
for each drilled hole. Likewise, the type, quantity, and depth of
the polymer inserted into each drilled hole of the printed circuit
board 613 may vary depending on a variety of factors including, for
example, the distance between trace layers that a particular
polymer plug is designed to connect. For a specific example, a
typical printed circuit board might be about one-hundred
millimeters thick and a polymer plug might be about half that
thickness. In some embodiments, the thickness of the polymer plug
(in its contracted state) may be between ten and ninety percent of
the thickness of the printed circuit board in which it is
inserted.
According to embodiments, the polymer may be extruded into the
drilled holes from the nozzles 615, 616, and 617 and allowed to
cure before being used. The time and temperature needed for the
curing process will vary depending on the type of polymer used.
Referring now to FIG. 7, shown is a flow diagram of a method 700 of
using a processor to generate commands that cause the expansion and
contraction of conductive polymers in drilled holes of a printed
circuit board in order to create and sever electrical connections
as necessary in a controlled manner, in accordance with embodiments
of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the processor
performing the method 700 may be the processor 802 depicted in FIG.
8. The processor may be located on the printed circuit board where
the relevant drilled holes are located (e.g., printed circuit board
100 of FIG. 1 or printed circuit board 613 of FIG. 6) or may be in
another computer that is separate from (but electrically connected
to) the printed circuit board.
According to embodiments, the method 700 may begin at operation
701, wherein the processor monitors the electrical paths in the
printed circuit board. In some embodiments, this includes the
processor determining (or predicting) where electrical signals need
to travel on the printed circuit board as components of the board
communicate with each other or with components on other printed
circuit boards. In some embodiments, this monitoring includes
monitoring the environmental conditions in, around, or near the
printed circuit board in order to detect particular conditions
(e.g., thermal runaway) that will require that the printed circuit
board shut down or change the manner in which it operates.
Per operation 702, the processor determines whether a modification
to an electrical connection in the printed circuit board is needed.
If not, then the processor returns to operation 701 and continues
monitoring the printed circuit board. If a modification is needed,
then, per operation 703, the processor determines whether an
electrical connection in the printed circuit board (e.g., between
capture pads in different trace layers) needs to be created or
severed. If the creation of an electrical connection is necessary,
then, per operation 704, the processor sends a command to apply a
triggering condition (e.g., an increase in stimulus) in order to
expand the polymer in the relevant drilled hole to create the
relevant connection. If, in the alternative, the severing of an
electrical connection is necessary, then, per operation 705, the
processor sends a command to withdraw a triggering condition (e.g.,
a decrease in stimulus) in order to contract the polymer in the
relevant drilled hole to sever the relevant connection.
The commands to apply or withdraw triggering conditions may be
received by a wide variety of components responsible for applying
triggering conditions. For example, a command to apply a triggering
condition may be received by components that cause a metal filament
(e.g., the metal filament 308 of FIG. 3) to heat up and expand a
particular polymer plug. For another example, the command may be
received by components that cause a pair of contact pads (e.g.,
contact pads 409 and 410 of FIG. 4) to apply a voltage that expands
an electroactive polymer. For yet another example, the command may
be received by components that control the pressure in the room in
which the printed circuit board is housed and these components may
cause the pressure in the room to decrease and the rounded,
gas-filled, elastomeric microspheres to expand (e.g., as shown in
view 512 of FIG. 5).
Upon the completion of operation 704 or 705, the processor returns
to operation 701 and continues to monitor the printed circuit
board. In some embodiments, the processor performing method 700 may
be monitoring a plurality of drilled holes within the printed
circuit board and adjusting the polymer in each of these drilled
holes as needed. In some embodiments, the processor may cause
electrical connections to made and broken very quickly (e.g., on
the order of seconds or microseconds) as electrical communication
signals pass through the printed circuit board.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure may offer various
technical computing advantages over the prior art. These computing
advantages address problems arising in the realms of computer
architecture as it relates to signal interference and operating
under various environmental conditions. Embodiments herein
recognize that using polymers as described herein can extend the
usable life of printed circuit boards or prevent safety hazards
(e.g., thermal runaway conditions).
Referring now to FIG. 8, shown is a high-level block diagram of an
example computer system (i.e., computer) 801 that may be used in
implementing one or more of the methods or modules, and any related
functions or operations, described herein (e.g., using one or more
processor circuits or computer processors of the computer), in
accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In some
embodiments, the major components of the computer system 801 may
comprise one or more CPUs 802, a memory subsystem 804, a terminal
interface 812, a storage interface 814, an I/O (Input/Output)
device interface 816, and a network interface 818, all of which may
be communicatively coupled, directly or indirectly, for
inter-component communication via a memory bus 803, an I/O bus 808,
and an I/O bus interface unit 810.
The computer system 801 may contain one or more general-purpose
programmable central processing units (CPUs) 802A, 802B, 802C, and
802D, herein generically referred to as the processor 802. In some
embodiments, the computer system 801 may contain multiple
processors typical of a relatively large system; however, in other
embodiments the computer system 801 may alternatively be a single
CPU system. Each CPU 802 may execute instructions stored in the
memory subsystem 804 and may comprise one or more levels of
on-board cache.
In some embodiments, the memory subsystem 804 may comprise a
random-access semiconductor memory, storage device, or storage
medium (either volatile or non-volatile) for storing data and
programs. In some embodiments, the memory subsystem 804 may
represent the entire virtual memory of the computer system 801, and
may also include the virtual memory of other computer systems
coupled to the computer system 801 or connected via a network. The
memory subsystem 804 may be conceptually a single monolithic
entity, but, in some embodiments, the memory subsystem 804 may be a
more complex arrangement, such as a hierarchy of caches and other
memory devices. For example, memory may exist in multiple levels of
caches, and these caches may be further divided by function, so
that one cache holds instructions while another holds
non-instruction data, which is used by the processor or processors.
Memory may be further distributed and associated with different
CPUs or sets of CPUs, as is known in any of various so-called
non-uniform memory access (NUMA) computer architectures. In some
embodiments, the main memory or memory subsystem 804 may contain
elements for control and flow of memory used by the processor 802.
This may include a memory controller 805.
Although the memory bus 803 is shown in FIG. 8 as a single bus
structure providing a direct communication path among the CPUs 802,
the memory subsystem 804, and the I/O bus interface 810, the memory
bus 803 may, in some embodiments, comprise multiple different buses
or communication paths, which may be arranged in any of various
forms, such as point-to-point links in hierarchical, star or web
configurations, multiple hierarchical buses, parallel and redundant
paths, or any other appropriate type of configuration. Furthermore,
while the I/O bus interface 810 and the I/O bus 808 are shown as
single respective units, the computer system 801 may, in some
embodiments, contain multiple I/O bus interface units 810, multiple
I/O buses 808, or both. Further, while multiple I/O interface units
are shown, which separate the I/O bus 808 from various
communications paths running to the various I/O devices, in other
embodiments some or all of the I/O devices may be connected
directly to one or more system I/O buses.
In some embodiments, the computer system 801 may be a multi-user
mainframe computer system, a single-user system, or a server
computer or similar device that has little or no direct user
interface, but receives requests from other computer systems
(clients). Further, in some embodiments, the computer system 801
may be implemented as a desktop computer, portable computer, laptop
or notebook computer, tablet computer, pocket computer, telephone,
smart phone, mobile device, or any other appropriate type of
electronic device.
It is noted that FIG. 8 is intended to depict the representative
major components of an exemplary computer system 801. In some
embodiments, however, individual components may have greater or
lesser complexity than as represented in FIG. 8, components other
than or in addition to those shown in FIG. 8 may be present, and
the number, type, and configuration of such components may
vary.
As discussed in more detail herein, it is contemplated that some or
all of the operations of some of the embodiments of methods
described herein may be performed in alternative orders or may not
be performed at all; furthermore, multiple operations may occur at
the same time or as an internal part of a larger process.
The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computer
program product. The computer program product may include a
computer readable storage medium (or media) having computer
readable program instructions thereon for causing a processor to
carry out aspects of the present invention.
The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that
can retain and store instructions for use by an instruction
execution device. The computer readable storage medium may be, for
example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a
magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an
electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or
any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of
more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium
includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk,
a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable
programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static
random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only
memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a
floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or
raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon,
and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable
storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being
transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely
propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves
propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g.,
light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical
signals transmitted through a wire.
Computer readable program instructions described herein can be
downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a
computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or
external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a
local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network.
The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical
transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls,
switches, gateway computers, and/or edge servers. A network adapter
card or network interface in each computing/processing device
receives computer readable program instructions from the network
and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage
in a computer readable storage medium within the respective
computing/processing device.
Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations
of the present invention may be assembler instructions,
instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine
instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware
instructions, state-setting data, or either source code or object
code written in any combination of one or more programming
languages, including an object oriented programming language such
as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, and conventional procedural
programming languages, such as the "C" programming language or
similar programming languages. The computer readable program
instructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on
the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on
the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on
the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote
computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type
of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area
network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external
computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet
Service Provider). In some embodiments, electronic circuitry
including, for example, programmable logic circuitry,
field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logic arrays
(PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions by
utilizing state information of the computer readable program
instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry, in order to
perform aspects of the present invention.
Aspects of the present invention are described herein with
reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of
methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products
according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood
that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block
diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations
and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable
program instructions.
These computer readable program instructions may be provided to a
processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer,
or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a
machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the
processor of the computer or other programmable data processing
apparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts
specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer readable program instructions may also be stored in
a computer readable storage medium that can direct a computer, a
programmable data processing apparatus, and/or other devices to
function in a particular manner, such that the computer readable
storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises an
article of manufacture including instructions which implement
aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block
diagram block or blocks.
The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto
a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other
device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on
the computer, other programmable apparatus or other device to
produce a computer implemented process, such that the instructions
which execute on the computer, other programmable apparatus, or
other device implement the functions/acts specified in the
flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the
architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products
according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this
regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent
a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one
or more executable instructions for implementing the specified
logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the
functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in
the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in
fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may
sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the
functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of
the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations
of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can
be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that
perform the specified functions or acts or carry out combinations
of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
As used herein, the term "each" does not necessarily equate to the
term "all" as the term "all" is used colloquially. For example, the
following two phrases have different meanings: "a car having a
plurality of tires, each tire of the plurality of tires being fully
inflated" and "a car that has all of its tires fully inflated". The
former phrase would encompass a car with three fully-inflated tires
(the plurality of tires) and one flat tire (not included in the
plurality of tires). The latter phrase would not encompass such a
car (because not all of the car's tires are fully inflated).
Likewise, the phrase "a computer having a set of files, each file
of the set of files being read-only" would encompass a computer
having two files, one of which is read-only (and belongs to the set
of files) and one of which is not read-only (and does not belong to
the set of files).
The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present
disclosure have been presented for purposes of illustration, but
are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments
disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope
and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used
herein was chosen to best explain the principles of the
embodiments, the practical application or technical improvement
over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enable others of
ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed
herein.
Although the present invention has been described in terms of
specific embodiments, it is anticipated that alterations and
modification thereof will become apparent to the skilled in the
art. Therefore, it is intended that the following claims be
interpreted as covering all such alterations and modifications as
fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
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